Everybody gets Tattooed!

A few weeks ago, Dom bought some pirate tattoos at the Dollar Tree.  Can I just say, I think fake tattoos are some of the greatest purchases one can make.  You can get a few sheets of these crazy things for a dollar and they are great sources of bribery....er....bonding between mother and child.

You will also notice that our favorite mascot is also a prevalent display of skin art.  William is giving you his mean face.  What is not pictured is a cool anchor on Dom's upper arm.  He doesn't like it there because he can't see it at all times, but, man, yesterday at the beach, he looked pretty hard core.  Totally in character.

I'm not 100% sure that Molly wanted these on her feet, but she pointed at the tattoos and then at her feet and I thought it would be cute.  So, there you go.  Tattooed feet.  Can you imagine the pain if these were real? 

Presidential Flashcards

 For the last few months, Dom has been learning about the presidents.  This is actually something he started to show interest in last spring.  And here a year later I cannot recall what was the catalyst for his initial enthusiasm for the subject matter.  However, we fostered it with a presidential placemat and a book on the presidents that he paged through with much interest.  As well as a workbook I picked up at the Target dollar bins.

Our unit consisted of doing a workbook page a day (or three) and reading a short biography of the president.  These standard lessons were supplemented with many hearings of this song:

As well as a viewing of this American Classic that is set during the close election of (spoiler alert) Benjamin Harrison over Grover Cleveland:  The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band:

 Oh and I introduced the boys to a favorite that I learned when I was young:

(I really enjoyed having this get stuck in Will's head.  He just walked around for a while singing the phrase: "Gulf of Mexico" over and over again)

 Dom and I learned a great deal from this very simple unit.  We didn't go into scandals or the negative side of politics.  Ok, so I did tell the boys about Clinton's impeachment and they now yell the word "LIAR!" when they hear his name.  However, Eric and I have discussed that most politicians are known to lie on occasion.  The big exception being George Washington.
 
If you've been following this blog, you know that Dom's favorite trivia is how the Presidents' names related to present and past KU basketball players.

Some of the trivia that I found interesting is the following:
Between the years 1837 and 1869 we had 10 presidents.  To put that in recent perspective, since 1981 we have had 5.  In fact, the majority of presidents have served 4 years or less:  24 to 20.  Another interesting fact is that George H.W. Bush was the first sitting Vice President to be elected President.  The only other Vice President to become President other than in the case of  the death of a president was Richard Nixon...8 years after he had served as vice president.  Are you fascinated?

Now, those that may be rolling their eyes, be aware that my new found knowledge of presidential trivia is already paying dividends.  Last week at the commissary they were offering $25 gift cards for correct trivia answers.  I correctly named the only 20th century president to get married while in the White House.  Anyone?  Anyone?  Drum roll please.....Woodrow Wilson! 

Ca-Ching!

Joy

In Dom's Sunday School class a couple of weeks ago, they drew pictures of what gave them joy.  We currently have it hanging up next to our dinner table, but I thought I would write about it for future remembering. 

In his picture from top left going clockwise:  Jesus, V (Valentines), L (Love), the beach and ocean, Wreck-it Ralph, Mario (or is it Will dressed up as Mario?  I like to think of it like that), Mom giving him a hug when he is sad, Hotwheels, his Reds hat, S (New Orlean's Saints), B (Baltimore Ravens), KU

Coolest Mom (yet thrifty!) Ever

 Dom and Will have quite the collection of football jerseys and helmets.  However, we are not in football season, are we.  Since January, Dom has been requesting a basketball jersey.  Either the Thunder or the Jayhawks.  Though, preferably, both.  And, preferably, those would just be the beginning of his collection.  Now, those aware of the prices of such items know that such items' prices are quite prohibitive.  Particularly knowing that the child whose future happiness depends on his receiving such an item will outgrow said item sooner rather than later. 

 Thus, when I was shopping at an area consignment store and discovered two generic jerseys for $4 apiece, I splurged.  Dom did mention that they weren't his favorite basketball teams, but I showed him how he could be whatever team he wanted!  Sooooo classy!  Will was also very excited to have a jersey and he quickly figured out that they were reversible thus allowing for one brother to be the home team and the other to be the away team. The way I found out that this was possible?  Well, Will tiptoed into my room where I was attempting to take a nap.  He knows that such an action can have grave consequences, and therefore should only be undertaken for the most important of situations.  Clearly, in his mind, this was such a situation.  He leaned in close to my face and whispered:  "Mom! You gave us TWO jerseys!"  The look on his face helped his gamble pay off and rather than getting a tongue lashing, he got a hug from mom and a promise to watch a game soon.  Lucky fellow!

 Oh, and I picked up a pair of short-alls for Molly.  She is adorable in them.  Natch.

The Ladies' Man

 I have stories regularly about Dominic and Molly, though really William probably gives me the most material.  His brain works on a different level than ours.  Not so much lower or higher, but skewed. And he has an incredible capacity to stick to one topic of conversation.  In particular, Mario Galaxy.
  But that is not what this post is about.  It is about how girls are drawn to William.  Of all ages.  He is not shy and will talk to anyone.  Which is a relief at times because Dom is quite the opposite and what I see as his being shy, can also come across as pretty rude.
  Well, next door is a 5-year-old girl, Alexa.  One day as we were hanging out in our backyard, Will started to talk to her through the security fence.  Their conversation mainly consisted of some variation on the theme: "I can see you!" .  Though, at some point they must have talked about something a little more meaningful as Will informed me that he had asked Alexa over for a play date.  They proceeded to spend the next few hours in our front yard playing all sorts of games of make believe.
  Since that afternoon, they have spent several afternoons in our front yard.  Dom will play with them, sometimes, but will get tired of being told what and how to play.  I told him girls can be a little bossy sometimes, just like his mom.  He seemed to completely understand that.  Will, on the otherhand, loves spending time with Alexa.  Last night as we tried to corral our children into the car to get pizza (something we should NOT have to coerce our kids to do), Will would not stop talking to her.  He kept coming up with new topics to share.  Finally he told her that he needed to go, but he would be back soon.  As we drove away he looked at me and said:
"I like talking to Alexa.  She is my girlfriend."

But, I'm not too concerned that she is replacing me as the most important girl in his life.  Just the other night he looked into my eyes and told me I was the best mom ever.  I'm sure that had nothing to do with the serving of green beans that had long gone cold on his plate.

Dear Coach Self

 Dear Coach Self,
 I love basketball and I love the Jayhawks.  I watched as many games this season that I could (though could you talk to the tv guys about airing them a little earlier than 8?). 

 I have been practicing regularly and trying out moves that I've seen your players perfect on the court.

 My mom and I even do a sort of word association to see how big of a fan I am.  This is how it goes:

Mom:  Dad's name is Eric Allen
Me:  Like "Allen Fieldhouse?"
Mom: The 17th president was Andrew Johnson.
Me:  Oooo! Like Elijah Johnson, he is a great basketball player.
Mom:  Chester A. Arthur became president after President Garfield was assassinated.
Me:  Hey, that is the same name as that Jayhawk player.  He played in the 2008 Championship with Super Mario Chalmers.
Mom:  What was his first name?
Me:  Darrell.  Darrell Arthur.  He was a great player.  I hope I can be like him some day.

Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for another great season.  I'm hoping to visit Allen Fieldhouse next time I'm in Lawrence.  You know, the place my dad is named after!

Your Biggest Fan,
Dominic Buschelman

PS Please tell Tyler I said hello!

The week the Reddigs came to town

 Katie, Robert, Mary Ann, Rose, Peter, and Margaret flew in for their spring break.  We have been planning for this trip ever since we knew for sure we'd be moving to Florida last summer.  Originally, we'd thought we'd all go to Disney World, but as that seemed to be more and more complicated, we elected to just host them in our house.  Now adding 6 people to our house is no small feat, but I strongly believe that low expectations and everyone being extremely flexible about schedules led to a wonderful week for everyone.

The day that the Reddigs arrived was a beautiful one. 





So after a round of margaritas and chips and salsa, we loaded up the vans and headed to the beach.  Unfortunately, the water was freezing.  Something that all people under the age of 30 didn't seem to mind.

We also planned for another visit to a beach on Tuesday as it was also a warmer sunny day.  Again, the water was not very accommodating. I lost major cool aunt points by not getting into the waves with my nieces...and I'm fine with that.  That water was cold!  But, the sun was hot and the bunch of rookies that applied sunscreen had a few failures.  Everyone except Peter and Margaret got a little burnt.  Robert, I believe, was the winner for worse case.  Mine was oddly on my neck, so I walked around for a couple of days looking like I had been the victim of a strangling attempt.  I eventually covered it with a bright scarf and looked more fashionable than usual.  #winning

Wednesday was a stormy day.  A dolphin cruise we had tickets for was cancelled so we elected to visit the Armament Museum.  This worked for about 15 minutes before Molly indicated that it was no longer working for her...so we left.  This is where low expectations and flexibility really came in handy.  What could have been a really bad day (a bunch of kids being stuck inside) turned into a really fun one.  We let the kids watch a movie (or 2...or 3... I lost count), while the adults had the first of three epic foosball tournaments.  Though I was on the losing team every time, I had a great time.  #ironicallywinning 

 On Thursday, the weather was still a little chilly, though the sun was shining, so we loaded up after lunch and took the Reddigs to Baytowne Wharf.  The older generation enjoyed some adult beverages while the younger generation played on a castle/fort.  Then we walked around the area and found some tree houses to hang out in.  We topped the visit off with some Fro Yo.  #stillwinning

 Allow me to say here that our niece Margaret is a sweetheart.  Though she clearly loves her mom, she is a pretty laid back little girl.  And if we for some reason ever forgot there was a baby in the house (um..we didn't), Molly enthusiastically pointed her presence out on a regular basis. 

 Friday dawned cold and windy.  So, naturally, I suggested that Katie and I take the older three on a walk to the best place in the world:  The Dollar Tree.  After we spent some quality time in that Oasis, I led them an addition half-mile or so to the used book store.  Thankfully, due to the miracle of technology and the fact that the younger four children (and their dads) were cold at the nearby park, we met up with everyone at the bookstore.  From there we journeyed to the awesome McDonald's (with the indoor jungle).  Basically, this was the day we hit all the things I always tell Katie about, but would normally never have the opportunity to show her.  Except on a cold, gray day when really there are no other options available.  #ghettowinning

 Saturday was the last day of the Reddigs visit.  It was a beautiful day.  Eric and I took all of the kids (minus Margaret) to the school fields to fly kites and play soccer.  This worked out pretty well in that we got them out of the house, and Katie and Robert were able to pack up.  #winningwinning

We all couldn't get over how well everything went.  Let's face it, I sort of have a reputation for not planning very well.  And for those keeping track, we only made it to the beach twice due to the weather.  So figuring out little activities to do to keep everyone from going crazy was a pretty impressive feat.  Everyone was pretty sad when the Reddigs drove away.  Dom enthusiastically said he had a great time with Mary Ann and Rose.  Will said he really liked hanging out with Peter and wished he lived closer.  At which point I realized I'd hardly seen Peter.  He and Will were always off playing in their imaginary worlds.   And Eric and I really enjoyed hanging out with the Reddigs in the evenings over games and Seinfeld episodes....and a round of Irish Car Bombs!

Easter Sunday

 Happy Easter!!  We had a beautiful day.  Unlike I suspect most of the country.  7:30 Mass wasn't packed and we were well into our Easter Egg hunt by 9:30.  I love these kids, which I suppose is quite convenient for everyone involved. 

We took several pictures attempting to accurately document the occasion.  Eric requested Dom take one of the two of us, and this was the better of two...Yep.  The second actually may have been the best picture ever, but it was completely blurred.  But, you can just tell from the outlines that we looked amazing!

We only really got one good picture of the three together (see above), but I realized that I could crop out the other kids when a shot was particularly good for an individual.  Thus, I now have a few really nice shots of the boys, which may end up on some card that will go out at some date in lieu of the Christmas card that did not happen.  Though, considering my track record, don't get too excited....

 I wanted to throw this one in just because Molly is such a wonderful mimic.  She would look at me to see what pose I was doing, and then imitate it.  And I feel like we are reaching a stage where that mother daughter relationship is beginning that special status that people keep telling me about when they see I have two boys and a girl ('Oh! You got your girl!').  She loves just hanging out with me.  I'm sure this will come to a very dramatic end at some point in the next 10 years (probably about the time she realizes I have no clue about how to apply make-up and am okay with that), but I love having her hang around and help with little tasks including emptying the dishwasher and handing me laundry to fold.  Oh, and she is always up for a dance party.

For the first time since having kids, we were able to hide the eggs outside.  We only hid 36 and told the kids they could each find 12. 

 

 Some children handled this a little better than others.  Molly found a few on her own, Dom helped her find a few, and Will quickly grabbed the rest.

 But, all of the kids thoroughly enjoyed the event and it went on just long enough.  I remember as a kid loving the initial 10 minutes or so when you can find the obviously hidden eggs, but finding those last few started to get a bit tiresome. 

A note about the bunny ears.  The kids picked these out at a recent Dollar Tree outing.  Molly referred to them as "Hops", but has now started to correctly label them "ears".  For those that don't know, she has been going to speech therapy and it has been really neat to see her pick up new words to say every day. 

 After the hunt, we retired to the kitchen to discover what other presents had been received.  I was a little concerned about the kids reaction this year to the gifts as I elected to go with summer pajamas and markers.  However, they were received with great excitement and immediately put on.  Molly's Yo Gabba Gabba nightgown was a particularly exciting gift as she put it on and then introduced her stuffed animals to it.

 And it probably didn't hurt that there was plenty of chocolate at the 2-year-old's eye level for consumption.  She is my little girl!

Easter Weekend

Holy Saturday dawned bright and sunny despite the heaviness in our hearts from witnessing the Jayhawks early exit from the NCAA tournament the night before.  However, living away from Lawrence for the last 8 years has helped put these games in a little better perspective, and we were happy to put all of our focus and energies in our preparation for Easter.

The kids spent the morning cleaning the house while I made at least 3 trips to various grocery stores (I was also purchasing for the week long visit of my sisters family (post soon to come)).

By the afternoon we were ready to dye some eggs.  Molly was truly experiencing this for the first time, and the boys did a nice job of sharing the duties.

Due to some outdoor activities that kept the kids attention much longer than previous years, the eggs got to sit in the dye for pretty close to 30 minutes making the colors some of the most vibrant we have ever had.

 Our yard has recently become the party yard and the other kids in the neighborhood will come over and play soccer or basketball on a pretty regular basis if the sun is out as our kids.  For the record, I am totally fine with this as long as all of the kids stay outside!!

 Molly loved that Tori was around and imitated everything she did.

And the boys had a pretty highly contested soccer game. 

For the first time in several years, I decided to attend the Holy Saturday Mass.  Because Dom had shown such an interest in Holy Thursday and Good Friday, I began to build up the idea that he come with me as a sort of Mother/Son date.  He was pretty excited about the idea...which made Will actually beg to come spend even more time in church.  Thus, the three of us dolled up for our evening out with Jesus.  We got several welcoming smiles as we walked up to the church that night.  We did not stay for the whole Mass as it lasts 3 hours or longer, but we stayed for a little over half of it before Will fell asleep and Dom said he was ready to go.   Overall, it was very successful and I look forward to attempting it again next year...

Ok, I'll save Easter Sunday for another post as Molly has decided to aide me a bit in this post....